They Left the Shelter of the Laurels
by Nosferatu's Cigarette Binge
Summary: Ruby gifts Anton with a cassette player. Little does she know he has a crush on her. Unadulterated froth once again.


**Disclaimer:** I claim absolutely no rights whatsoever to the characters in this story.  
**Dedicated:** to my dearest Jonathan. Sorry you've had to reassure me so many times that I should publish this.

* * *

The door to Granny's Diner opened, allowing a gust of morning air to creep in and momentarily chill the few customers dining within. Anton peered around the opening, wearily checking the eatery before entering. Every face that peered back from within the red pleather booths was unknown, hitherto he deemed it safe to step inside. The only problem he now faced in entering was the fear that stuck him was when he was near a waitress of the diner, Ruby Lucas. She was one of the most beautiful creatures he had ever seen.

"Hey, Anton. Can I get you something?" Ruby asked, making him jump. "You Okay?" she added after seeing a strange shadow possess his face.

"I - I'm fine. I was just... trying to figure out what to order."

"Oh, I think I can help you." Ruby smiled, delighted to help another soul discover the meals this land had to offer. She looked him over, as if to read what dish might best suit him, then patted a stool at the end of the bar before making her way to the kitchen. "Have a seat. I'll be right back."

Anton took the stool she'd selected, and, in resting his arms on the countertop, fumbled with a menu in a vain attempt to occupy his jumbled thoughts. A few minutes of silence passed until Ruby arrived with a bowl of Lucky Charms, an iced cinnamon bun and a glass of chai tea.

She placed the bowl, plate and glass before Anton, and with her arms crossed, leaned over the counter. Anton, off in his own little world, dipped his finger into the cereal, removed a clover shaped marshmallow and was just about to put it in his mouth when he noticed Ruby watching him intently.

"Here, use this," she suggested as she placed a spoon in his hand.

"Thanks," he said, slightly embarrassed. He filled the spoon with a small portion of the cereal and placed it in his mouth.

"Dip the cinnamon bun in the milk. Just a little..." she whispered, eyes alight.

"Ok." He did so and smiled slightly afterwards, overcome by the sugar intensity.

"You've got a little," she pointed to the corner of her mouth, trying to tell him that he had icing to the side of his lower lip.

"Hmm?" he mumbled, not understanding.

"Here, let me help you." She dabbed the icing away with a napkin.

Anton looked up with thoughtful eyes and blushed. "Thank you."

"No problem," she flummoxed, distancing herself once she realized how close she was to the former Giant. "So what are you going to do today?"

"Work the fields till dusk."

"With Leroy and the other Dwarfs?"

"Yeah."

"So, how are you getting along with them?"

"Well. They're nice guys..."

"...But?"

"It's nothing." He shrugged.

"You can tell me. I can keep a secret."

"OK, well... They - they whistle the same song over and over while we're digging. Just one song! Again and again... It's driving me a little crazy."

"Sounds like you need a radio or something."

"A what?"

"A rad- oh never mind. Oh, wow. I see you've already finished breakfast." She tapped her finger beside the bowl that once contained star-shaped pressed 'oats' and various mutated marshmallow shapes.

"Yep. I guess I was hungrier than I thought." He tried to think of something else to say but his nerves got the best of him. He raised from the stool and looked to Ruby. "Well, I have to start working bright and early so I guess I'd better go. Thanks for helping me."

"No problem!" she smiled.

He opened the door then suddenly turned to her again. "Oh, um, I - I don't know how to pay -"

"No need to worry," she said, waving her hand. "I'll just add it to Mr. Gold's tab. He'll never know it wasn't Belle's breakfast."

* * *

12pm

* * *

Happy, Grumpy, Dopey, Bashful, Sleepy, Doc and Anton busily tilled the ground. The Dwarfs were whistling, of course. The same song. Again. Anton closed his eyes and breathed in, knowing it would be unwise to alienate his fellow workers, but just how much more of this was he going to have to take before he snapped?

He wiped the sweat from his brow whilst daydreaming about throwing a clump of dirt at the closest Dwarf, it so happened to be Happy, when he heard someone or something stirring the brush nearby. He turned, and spotted Ruby wielding a large picnic basket.

"Hey!" she greeted the workers and brushed a strand of stray hair behind her ear. "I thought you guys might be hungry." She lifted the basket in the air, as if offering it as symbol of peace.

"Thanks! We're starving," Leroy said as he stepped forward and removed the basket from her hands.

"OK," she laughed without thinking as the wicker left her grip. She nervously brushed her hands over her jeans then crossed her arms. "So... " she began to speak but stopped when she saw Anton, who had started to approach, quickly turn on his heel to seek the basket swarming with Dwarfs.

"Sorry," he exclaimed, returning to Ruby after the battle. "I thought it best to grab a sandwich before they ate everything. You know what they say about Dwarfs. They love to eat."

"No, that's Dwarves."

"Oh." He thought. "Sorry, it's easy to confuse them."

"It's fine. Just don't tell them that. Oh - just stay where you are! I'll be right back," she said before she ran off to retrieve something from her car. Soon Ruby stood before Anton clutching a cardboard box. "Sorry. Forgot this. Why don't we sit down over there for a minute?" Ruby asked, setting towards a shade tree. Anton followed, nibbling on his sandwich.  
They sat down, and she removed a radio from the box and placed it on the ground. "This is a radio. You press this button." She hit the 'on' button and some warbly country music poured out from the speakers. "And music comes out."

"Wow. This - this is really, this is great. What sort of magic is this?"

"It's not magic! The people of this world invented it. You turn this knob and different stations will come in. Most any kind of music you want, but you might have to play with it a little while before it will work. It's kind of old. The cassette player still works great though."

Anton looked at her blankly.

"Oh, um, cassettes allow you to listen to your favorite music. You don't have to rely on the radio to select what you listen to. You might ask around town for different ones. I included some of the music I used to listen to." She handed the boom box over to Anton, smiling sheepishly as she added. "I don't know how well you'll like them though."

"You're giving this to me?!" He laughed.

"Yes. I bought it at a Miner's Day festival several years ago after my old one died... it's nothing. I just hope you can use it."

"I will. Believe me I will." He clutched the boom box a little tighter, almost hugging it. "Thank you so much."

Ruby said nothing, she simply looked into his eyes and smiled.

"No, I mean it," Anton misunderstood her glance. "You've shown me more kindness than I deserve. I feel terrible about the way I behaved yesterday."

"Don't think about it, Anton."

"Tiny," Happy yelled, correcting her from a few feet over as he listened in on their conversation.

"Tiny?" Ruby repeated.

"My brothers used to call me that."

"Well, _Tiny, _you're forgiven."

"B - But I tried to kill some of your friends,' he said, getting teary eyed.

"You lost your family because of humans. I can see why you reacted the way you did."

"You can?"

"Of course. You didn't know you could trust us, I mean David looks just like his brother. If I was in your place I probably would have done the same thing. Listen," she said taking hold of his hand, "I know what regret is. I killed my boyfriend in the old world... I didn't mean to." Her eyes clouded over. "It was one of the worst things that ever happened in my life. I - I have no control over myself once a month... No, - I mean," Ruby blushed. "I turn into a wolf with the changes of the moon."

"A wolf? Really?" Anton asked, his mind drifting from her words as he realized she still held his hand. "That's cool... b-but, I mean, I'm so sorry about your boyfriend."

"Thank you," she said looking down. "I'm sorry about your family."

"Tiny and Red sitting in a tree, k -i -s -s -i -n -g," Dopey began to sing, noticing that his friend was holding hands with a very attractive girl. The other Dwarfs followed through with various whoops and cat-calls as Anton hurriedly let his hand fall from Ruby's grasp.

"She gave me a radio guys!" Anton produced it for all of them to see. "That's all. She's just being nice."

"Oh great. A radio." Leroy said sarcastically. "That's just what we need."

"Does it have a cassette player?" Dopey asked, coming closer. The other Dwarfs shook their heads 'no' hoping Anton would follow their lead.

"Um, I'd better go," Ruby said, feeling uncomfortable with so many evil eyes glaring at her. She raised from the ground and turned to Anton. "I'll see you later... to help you pick out diner?"

"That would be very kind of you."

"OK." She almost said 'it's a date' without thinking. "Bye," she said, waving over her shoulder.

"Whoo, Tiny, didn't think you had it in ya!" Bashful said, punching his shoulder.

"Guys, you're reading too much into this. She's just being nice. She was not... She - she wouldn't... L- Let's just play some music. I don't want to talk about this anymore," Anton said as he placed the radio on stump.

"It's got a cassette player! It does! It does!" Dopey cackled, wringing his hands. "Now I can play my Geronimo Jackson cassettes! It's been so long since I've heard them. Grumpy destroyed the last player I had."

"Darn that Ruby," Grumpy mumbled.

"What? I don't get it. What's so wrong with Dopey playing his music?"

"Oh nothing, if you don't mind hearing it play in a continuous loop."

"Hmm, actually, I wouldn't mind," Anton said, thinking that almost anything would be a step above what he'd been subjected to. He nodded to Dopey, who jumped for joy. "Yahoo! I'm going home now to get them!"

Anton approached Leroy as soon as the joy ridden dwarf turned his back to the crowd. "Don't worry. Once we get to the point we can't stand them, Geronimo Jackson will mysteriously become Lost."


End file.
